§189ΛΑ. Σωκράτους δʼ ἐγὼ τῶν μὲν λόγων οὐκ ἔμπειρός εἰμι, ἀλλὰ πρότερον, ὡς ἔοικε, τῶν ἔργων ἐπειράθην, καὶ ἐκεῖ αὐτὸν ηὗρον ἄξιον ὄντα λόγων καλῶν καὶ πάσης παρρησίας.
Laches: I, on the one hand, am not experienced in Socrates' words, but previously, as it seems, I made trial of his deeds, and there I found him to be worthy of fine words and all frankness of speech.
εἰ οὖν καὶ τοῦτο ἔχει, συμβούλομαι τἀνδρί, καὶ ἥδιστʼ ἂν ἐξεταζοίμην ὑπὸ τοῦ τοιούτου, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀχθοίμην μανθάνων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐγὼ τῷ Σόλωνι, ἓν μόνον προσλαβών, συγχωρῶ· γηράσκων γὰρ πολλὰ διδάσκεσθαι ἐθέλω ὑπὸ χρηστῶν μόνον.
If, therefore, he also possesses this, I agree with the man, and I would most gladly be examined by such a person, and I would not be displeased to learn; indeed, I too agree with Solon, adding only one thing: for as I grow old, I wish to be taught many things, but only by good men.
τοῦτο γάρ μοι συγχωρείτω, ἀγαθὸν καὶ αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν διδάσκαλον, ἵνα μὴ δυσμαθὴς φαίνωμαι ἀηδῶς μανθάνων·
For let this be granted to me, that the teacher himself is good, so that I may not appear to be slow to learn while learning unpleasantly.
εἰ δὲ νεώτερος ὁ διδάσκων ἔσται ἢ μήπω ἐν δόξῃ ὢν ἤ τι ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων ἔχων, οὐδέν μοι μέλει.
But if the teacher is younger, or not yet in high repute, or has some other such characteristic, it is of no concern to me.
σοὶ οὖν, ὦ Σώκρατες, ἐγὼ ἐπαγγέλλομαι καὶ διδάσκειν καὶ ἐλέγχειν ἐμὲ ὅτι ἂν βούλῃ, καὶ μανθάνειν γε ὅτι αὖ ἐγὼ οἶδα· οὕτω σὺ παρʼ ἐμοὶ διάκεισαι ἀπʼ ἐκείνης τῆς ἡμέρας ᾗ μετʼ ἐμοῦ συνδιεκινδύνευσας καὶ ἔδωκας σαυτοῦ πεῖραν ἀρετῆς ἣν χρὴ διδόναι τὸν μέλλοντα δικαίως δώσειν.
To you, therefore, Socrates, I offer myself both to teach and to refute me in whatever you wish, and to learn in turn whatever I know; so you are disposed with me since that day on which you shared danger with me, and gave a proof of your virtue which he who is to give it justly must give.
λέγʼ οὖν ὅτι σοι φίλον, μηδὲν τὴν ἡμετέραν ἡλικίαν ὑπόλογον ποιούμενος.
Say, then, whatever is pleasing to you, making no account of our age.
ΣΩ. οὐ τὰ ὑμέτερα, ὡς ἔοικεν, αἰτιασόμεθα μὴ οὐχ ἕτοιμα εἶναι καὶ συμβουλεύειν καὶ συσκοπεῖν.
Socrates: We shall not, as it seems, accuse your side of not being ready both to advise and to search together.
ΛΥ. ἀλλʼ ἡμέτερον δὴ ἔργον, ὦ Σώκρατες—ἕνα γάρ σε ἔγωγε ἡμῶν τίθημι—σκόπει οὖν ἀντʼ ἐμοῦ ὑπὲρ τῶν νεανίσκων ὅτι δεόμεθα παρὰ τῶνδε πυνθάνεσθαι, καὶ συμβούλευε διαλεγόμενος τούτοις.
Lysimachus: But indeed it is our task, Socrates—for I count you as one of us—so search instead of me on behalf of the youths for what we need to learn from these men, and advise them by discussing with them.
ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐπιλανθάνομαι ἤδη τὰ πολλὰ διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν ὧν ἂν διανοηθῶ ἐρέσθαι καὶ αὖ ἃ ἂν ἀκούσω· ἐὰν δὲ μεταξὺ ἄλλοι λόγοι γένωνται, οὐ πάνυ μέμνημαι.
For I, owing to my age, already forget most of the things I intend to ask, and again what I hear; and if other discussions intervene, I do not at all remember.
ὑμεῖς οὖν λέγετε καὶ διέξιτε πρὸς ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς περὶ ὧν προυθέμεθα· ἐγὼ δʼ ἀκούσομαι καὶ ἀκούσας αὖ μετὰ Μελησίου τοῦδε ποιήσω τοῦτο ὅτι ἂν καὶ ὑμῖν δοκῇ.
You, therefore, speak and go through among yourselves about the things we proposed; and I will listen, and having listened, I will in turn, with Melesias here, do whatever seems good also to you.
ΣΩ. πειστέον, ὦ Νικία τε καὶ Λάχης, Λυσιμάχῳ καὶ Μελησίᾳ.
Socrates: We must obey, Nicias and Laches, Lysimachus and Melesias.
ἃ μὲν οὖν νυνδὴ ἐπεχειρήσαμεν σκοπεῖν, τίνες οἱ διδάσκαλοι ἡμῖν τῆς τοιαύτης παιδείας γεγόνασιν ἢ τίνας ἄλλους βελτίους πεποιήκαμεν, ἴσως μὲν οὐ κακῶς εἶχεν ἐξετάζειν καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἡμᾶς αὐτούς· ἀλλʼ οἶμαι καὶ ἡ τοιάδε σκέψις εἰς ταὐτὸν φέρει, σχεδὸν δέ τι καὶ μᾶλλον ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἴη ἄν.
Now, what we just now attempted to consider—who have been our teachers in such education, or what others we have made better—it was perhaps not bad for us to examine ourselves about such things; but I think that the following kind of inquiry also leads to the same point, and would be almost more from the beginning.
εἰ γὰρ τυγχάνομεν ἐπιστάμενοι ὁτουοῦν πέρι ὅτι παραγενόμενόν τῳ βέλτιον ποιεῖ ἐκεῖνο ᾧ παρεγένετο, καὶ προσέτι οἷοί τέ ἐσμεν αὐτὸ ποιεῖν παραγίγνεσθαι ἐκείνῳ, δῆλον ὅτι αὐτό γε ἴσμεν τοῦτο οὗ πέρι σύμβουλοι ἂν γενοίμεθα ὡς ἄν τις αὐτὸ ῥᾷστα καὶ ἄριστʼ ἂν κτήσαιτο.
For if we happen to know about anything whatever that, when present in something, it makes that in which it is present better, and furthermore we are able to make it become present in it, it is clear that we know this very thing about which we would become advisers as to how one might acquire it most easily and best.
ἴσως οὖν οὐ μανθάνετέ μου ὅτι λέγω, ἀλλʼ ὧδε ῥᾷον μαθήσεσθε.
Perhaps, then, you do not understand what I mean, but you will learn more easily in this way.